Optimal planning of municipal solid waste management systems in an integrated supply chain network

Waste management can be considered as a strategic supply chain problem as it involves the waste generation, collection, separation, transportation, treatment, distribution, and disposal. This paper presents a mixed integer linear programming model for the coordination of tactical and operational decisions in waste supply chain networks including the logistics, production, and distribution. The model aims at maximizing the profit of the entire supply chain while satisfying the demand, production, transportation, and inventory constraints imposed by different entities of the network. A case study is selected to test the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed model. Such an integrated network contributes to the maximum utilization of recyclable waste including paper, plastic, glass, and metal processed by recycling plants, and non-recyclable waste treated in waste to energy plants. Sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate how changing parameters including the time periods and products’ prices affect the supply chain performance.